cblake4293

Most people from my 2012 graduating class are working in a nursing home. A couple got into VNA or doctors offices. The 2 major hospitals in my area do not hire new grads, but a year in a nursing home is considered good experience. Take what you can get! Eventually you will get where you want to be! I'm at my 5 month mark at a nursing home and will start applying to other places in about 5 months. Good Luck!!

Thank you to all who responded to my post about the unsterile cath I witnessed. After a couple of sleepless nights, I did what I felt I could live with. Talking with the nurse directly was not an option for me. I was not going to see her for another week and I felt that too much time had passed. She is somewhat confrontational and I predict it would not have gone well. I should have said something in the moment but you know what they say about hindsight. Lesson learned. Some nurses I have developed a good relationship and we often txt outside of work asking how pts are or bouncing things off each other. I would have definitely gone to one of these nurses if they had done it. So....I went to the nurse educator and asked her about the facility policy and if there were any exceptions. She said no. Straight cath is always sterile. I told her what happened and suggested an inservice without pointing anyone out. I also said we dont have kits which would have made the gloves readily available. She didnt realize we were out of kits . The end result is she is ordering kits, attaching a memo about correct technique and has no plans to single this nurse out in any way and my name stays out of it! To those who talked about being a tattle tale....yes I do feel like one! But this is about safety, and if this is how she always caths someone is going to get sick and I wouldnt want it to be my grandmother. I see shortcuts taken everyday at work, we have to somehow get a million things done in 8 hrs! I had clinical instructors say "this is how we do it in school but this is how its done in the real world". Loved those clinical instructors! Trust me I get it...

Thank you to all who responded to my post about the unsterile cath I witnessed. After a couple of sleepless nights, I did what I felt I could live with. Talking with the nurse directly was not an option for me. I was not going to see her for another week and I felt that too much time had passed. She is somewhat confrontational and I predict it would not have gone well. I should have said something in the moment but you know what they say about hindsight. Lesson learned. Some nurses I have developed a good relationship and we often txt outside of work asking how pts are or bouncing things off each other. I would have definitely gone to one of these nurses if they had done it. So....I went to the nurse educator and asked her about the facility policy and if there were any exceptions. She said no. Straight cath is always sterile. I told her what happened and suggested an inservice without pointing anyone out. I also said we dont have kits which would have made the gloves readily available. She didnt realize we were out of kits . The end result is she is ordering kits, attaching a memo about correct technique and has no plans to single this nurse out in any way and my name stays out of it! To those who talked about being a tattle tale....yes I do feel like one! But this is about safety, and if this is how she always caths someone is going to get sick and I wouldnt want it to be my grandmother. I see shortcuts taken everyday at work, we have to somehow get a million things done in 8 hrs! I had clinical instructors say "this is how we do it in school but this is how its done in the real world". Loved those clinical instructors! Trust me I get it...

Thank-you to everyone for all of the advice! While I have gotten mixed answers, I appreciate all the feedback. Honestly, this has been the best therapy for me! One thing is for sure...there is no clearcut answer and I think that often happens in nursing. We have to go with our gut on many things and do our jobs in a way that will leave us with a clear conscience. I will let you know what happens....

I know! I wish I had just asked her in the moment! Dont reallly know why I didnt say anything in the moment. I guess I had already intervened alot and felt a little intimidated saying anything else. I did ask her if she had sterile gloves when preparing and looking back, I realize she never answered. I also asked her if she had iodine, she didnt answer. I found it in the drawer and asked her if she wanted me to put it on. I had asked her if she got something to put the trash in. I asked her if she had lubricating gel. Which she did (and touched the packaging with clean gloves and then pulled the foley out of the package and touched that). And I started to doubt myself, thinking maybe its ok since he self caths at home. Next time I will just ask in a nice way! And save myself this headache!

Good advice. I think that is how I will initially approach it. I will ask for clarification and take it from there!

Thank you for your advice! I work at a nursing home not the hospital but UTIs are common and I would feel horrible if the patient got one or worse. I'm hoping I can talk to the nurse in charge of trainings in confidence and she can hold an inservice on it. I am definitely one to mind my own business so this is really hard for me. I have never been in a situation like this and I have learned an important lesson. Next time I will ask the person right away why they are doing something a certain way( in a nonconfrontational way).

Being a new nurse is really not fun! One of the hardest parts is differentiating between what you learn in school and the real world. So I guess your saying this is not a big deal and I should move on?

Yes this person does self caths at home! So this doesnt have to be a sterile procedure? That would be a weight off my shoulders! I am not student, I am now a new RN. The person doing this was an LPN with 30 yrs experience. My supervisor had done the procedure in front of me two weeks prior with the same patient and had used sterile technique.

I am a new grad and have been working as an RN for 5 months. Everyone I work with is very experienced and I am definitely the newbie. Yesterday I witnessed an LPN with 30 yrs experience straight cath a male without using sterile gloves. I asked if she had sterile gloves and the iodine that is necessary (we didnt have a kit so all items had to be gathered seperately). I found the iodine and brought it to the bed side. She then asked for a packaged wipe on the bedside to clean the insertion area. I asked her if she wanted me to do the iodine and she replied that she was just going to do the wipe but I could if I wanted to. I did and realized that she never put on sterile gloves only clean gloves. She completed the procedure without ever applying sterile gloves and I am feeling absolutely awful that I didnt stop her and tell her she needed sterile gloves. The whole procedure was totally against what I learned in nursing school. I am thinking about going to the nurse in charge of training and telling her what happened in confidence. Thinking maybe she can hold in inservice on proper techinique. I do not feel comfortable talking to the nurse who did the procedure about it. It would not go well. I have been stressed about this for the last 24 hrs! Any advice? I'm afraid I could be held responsible for not intervening as well.